Fabric guiding means for sewing machines



United States Patent Winston-Salem, North Carolina a corporation ofNorth Carolina FABRIC GUIDING MEANS FOR SEWING MACHINES 3 Claims, 9Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl. 112/27, 1 12/136 Int. Cl D05b 7/00, DOSb 27/00, D05b 35/00Field of Search 112/27, 26,

25, I36, l37,148,150,l52,162,203, 121.12,121.15,121.1l;222/l96;66/(lnquired) Primary Examiner-H. Hampton HunterAttorney- Paul and Paul ABSTRACT: A method of closing the toe of ladiesseamless stockings is disclosed in which a bead is knitcircumferentially in the toe portion of the stocking inward of the ravelguard and parallel to a course. The operator flattens the toe so thatone half 180) of the head is adjacent the other half. The operatorinserts the adjacent bead halves into a slotted guide tube which leadsto the working station. The working station may be the cutting andsewing positions of a sewing machine, or may be a looping position on alooping machine. In the case of the sewing machine, the cutter trims thestocking fabric along the bead on the inward side thereof, and thefabric is then immediately sewn together along the trimmed edge.

Patented Sept. 8, 1970 l of 3 Sheet m N E V W Howard Beomon wkwATTORNEYS.

. Patented Sept. 8; 1970 3,527,181

Sheet 2 bf 3 Y. INVENTOR.

g 4' Fig.6 4 Howard L. Beumon m/km ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 8, 1970 Sheet .INVENTOR. Howukd 'L. Beumon ATTORNEYS.

FAlldlli-tllE lZllUIIDING MEANS FOR SEWING MACHINES CROSS REFERENCE TORELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation-impart of myearlier filed application, Ser. No. 700,424, filed January 25, 1968,entitled Fabric Guiding Means for Sewing Machine" and now abancloned.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a method and apparatusfor closing the open end of a tubular knitted fabric, and particularlyto a method aul apparatus for closing the toe of ladies seamlessstockings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART In high-quality high-price ladiesstockings, absolutely straight toe seams are desired. To obtain suchperfectly straight seams, the prior art has resorted to manual impalingof the stocking toe on the looping points of a looping machine. Morespecifically, the operator impales the open toe end on the radial pointsof the circular looping machine, the machine trims the stocking along acourse just above the looping points, and the machine then sews alongthe trimmed edge. The resultant seam is absolutely straight and parallelwith the course. However, this prior art method requires, for eachstocking, a considerable amount of operator time for looping and isconsequently costly and expensive.

For ladies stockings intended to be sold at medium or low prices, theprior art has used an operator to close the open toe by means of acommercial form of sewing machine to trim the open end and sew the seam,but unless the operator is very careful and also very skillful the seamwill not be straight and it will not be parallel with the courses of thestocking.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is toproduce, at substantially lower cost than entailed by prior artprocedure, a high quality ladies stocking having a toe seam which isstraight and parallel with the course. This objective is achievedwithout having to manually impale the fabric on a looping machine.According to the invention, a bead is knitted along a course inward ofthe ravel guard at the end of the toe. A slotted guide tube is providedleading, in one embodiment, to the cutting and sewing stations of aconventional sewing machine, and in another embodiment, leading to theradial points of a looping machine. The toe is so flattened by theoperator that one half( 180) of the bead is adjacent the other half. Theadjacent bead halves are inserted into the guide tube, and the stockingfoot is moved by the operator so that the adjacent bead halves movethrough the guide tube, in the one embodiment, toward the cutting andsewing positions of the sewing machine, and in the other embodiment,toward the radial points of the looping machine. At the cutting stationof the sewing machine, the toe is trimmed along the bead on the inwardside thereof, and the toe is then immediately closed at the sewingstation. The stocking is then discharged by an endless drag belt. Theresultant closing seam is straight and parallel to the courses.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a perspective illustration ofapparatus embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the foot portion ofa ladies stockingshowing the toe in open condition prior to closing;

FIG. 3 is a perspective illustration of a portion of FIG. 1, showing thetoe of the stocking being moved by the operator through the guide tubetoward the cutting and sewing positions of the sewing machine, at whichthe toe is closed;

FIG. 4 is a view looking down along the line IV--IV of FIG. 3 showingthe bead ofthe stocking toe in the guide tube;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view in section along the line V-V of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view in section along the line VI- VI of FIG.3;

FIG. 7 is a perspective diagrammatic illustration showing the toe of thestocking being moved through the guide tube toward the radial points ofa looping machine;

FIG. 8 is a simplified plan view of FIG. 7 showing that the guide tubeis disposed at a tangent relative to the radial point circle ofa loopingmachine; and

FIG. 9 is a view of the guide tube looking along the line IX- IX of FIG.7.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 shows a known form ofsewing machine 10 mounted on a base plate 12. The sewing machine 10 may,for example, be a Union Special sewing machine. The sewing station is at20 where one or more needles 21 may be used, as is well understood inthe art. Immediately in front of the sewing station 20 is a cuttingstation 30 at which a cutter blade 31 moves up and down in reciprocatingmanner at high speed to effect, in cooperation with a fixed blade, notshown, trimming off of the terminal portion of the stocking toe. Thesevered ends are then immediately sewn together. The distance betweenthe cutting and sewing positions may, for example, be of the order ofone-quarter inch. The reciprocating cutter blade 31 is, in the drawing,mounted at the forward end of a lever arm 32 which pivots about pivotpin 33. The cutter is driven in known manner by means not shown, as arealso the needles at the sewing station.

To assist the stocking through the cutting and sewing stations, and todischarge the cut and sewn stocking, an endless belt 22 of frictionmaterial is provided. This belt may be mounted and driven by anysuitable means. In the drawing, the endless belt 22 is shown passingover a forward pulley 23 and a rear pulley (not visible). The rearpulley is shown to be driven by an adjustable speed electric motor 25mounted on a suitable base such as 26. The motor drive shaft 27 isjournalled in a bracket 28. A cover guard 29 is provided. Guard 29,which is supported adjustably at its forward end, as by the bracket 34,also carries the support bearing for the axle of the forward pulley 23.The adjustment of the vertical position of the forward end of the belt22 is by any suitable means. In the drawing an adjustable stud 35 isillustrated.

Reference is now made to FIG. 2, wherein the lower portion of a stocking60 is illustrated. Stocking 60 has a heel portion 61, a foot portion 62,and an open toe portion 63. A run guard 64 is connected between the toeportion 63 and the foot portion 62. The open toe portion 63 terminatesat its lower end in a ravel guard 65.

To complete the stocking illustrated in FIG. 2, the open toe 63 must besewn together. As has been indicated hereinabove, it is important from asales appeal standpoint, that the seam produced during the closingoperation be absolutely straight and be parallel to a course. To achievethis result, in accordance with the method and means proposed by thepresent invention, a bead 66 is knitted circumferentially, along orparallel to a course, using well-known knitting techniques. This bead 66is located near the open end of the toe, inward of the ravel guard 65,forming between the ravel guard 65 and the bead 66 a narrow run-offportion, identified in the drawing by the reference numeral 67.

Returning now to F 1G I, in accordance with the present in vention, thesewing machine 10 is provided with a guide which is identifiedcomprehensively in the drawing by the reference numeral 40. Guide 40comprises a lower-half guide plate 41 and an upper-half guide plate 42positioned in end-to-end almost-abutting relation, and held in thatposition by a generally U-shaped brace or bracket member 44. The guideplates 41 and 42 are preferably of transparent plastic. Brace 44 issecured to the upper-half guide plate 42 by the plate 46 and is securedto the lower-half guide plate 41 by the angle 45, the latter beingsecured to the base plate 12. The means just described for supportingthe guide plates 41, 42 are merely intended to be illustrative of onesuitable means. Any other suitable means may be employed, so far as theinvention is concerned.

The almost-abutting edges of the plates 41 and 42 are grooved withgenerally semi-circular grooves, as seen in crosssection in FIG. 6. Thegenerally semi-circular grooves, are less than 180, forming between thetwo half guide plates a guide passage 50 which is generally circular incross-section but slotted at the 90 and 270 regions to allow for entryof the stocking fabric. The forward end of the guide passage 50 isflared or trumpeted as at 51 to facilitate the operator in entering thebead 66 of the stocking toe into the guide passage. The guide passage 50extends rearwardly from the flared front end 51 and terminates at thecutting station 30 just in front of the cutter 31, as seen in FIG. 4.

To close the toe of the stocking, using the form of apparatusillustrated in FIGS. l-6, the operator takes, for example, the toeportion of the stocking in her hands, inserts the fingers of her onehand into the open end of the toe and spreads her fmgers to fold thecircle on the two corners of the toe with onehalf of the bead 66superimposed on and in alignment with the other half. She then insertsthe aligned superimposed bead halves into the flared end of guidepassage 50, with the main foot portion of the stocking on the near sideof the guide passage and the terminal or ravel guard end on the farside, as illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawing. In FIG. 2, thehalf-circle portion of the bead 66 extending from A to B via C will bereferred to as the bead half ACE, and the half-circle portion extendingfrom A to B via D will be referred to as the bead half ADB. While themethod herein described and claimed is not limited thereto, it ispreferable for the operator to place the bead half ACB on top of thebead half ADB, as indicated in FIG. 5.

After inserting the superimposed bead halves into the guide passage 50,the operator urges the foot of the stocking rearwardly toward and intothe cutting and sewing stations, in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3.The feed dogs of the sewing machine pull the stocking rearwardly in'well understood manner, and this rearward movement of the stocking islater assisted by the drag belt 22 which functions to keep the stockingstraighter during the sewing operation, and also to remove the stockingfrom the sewing area.

In order that the drag belt 22 can adequately discharge the stockings tthe rear of the seamingmachine, the usual chain severing mechanism isemployed to separate each stocking.

1n the preferred embodiment, a wedge-shaped spreader 55 is provided,located at the rearward portion of the guide passage 50, just ahead ofthe cutting station 30. The function of spreader 55 is to spread thestocking at the cutter and sewing stations. As seen in cross-section ofFIG. 6, the spreader 55 is a wedge-shaped block having along itsdivergent edge a depending flange 56 which engages the upper surface ofthe stocking fabric in the region between the bead 66 and the run guard64. The width of the wedge spreader 55 at its rear is equal to the widthof the stocking fabric between the bead 66 and the run guard 64 in thatportion of the stocking toe along the bead half ACB, whereat the runguard is spaced from the bead by a relatively narrow non-varying width,as seen in FIG. 3. Thus, by reason of the divergent disposition of thespreader flange 56 between the apex of the spreader 55 and its rearedge, the stocking fabric is spread in relatively taut fashion betweenthe bead 66 and the run guard 64, and this condition tends to continueas the stocking foot is moved through the cutting and sewing stations.

At the cutting station 30, the cutter 31 trims the stocking fabric alongthe inside edge of the bead 66. The edges are then immediately sewntogether at the sewing station which is spaced rearwardly from thecutter 31 by a small distance, of the order of A inch. During thecutting and sewing of that portion of the stocking fabric which firstreaches the cutting and sewing stations, the last part of the stockingfabric is still being guided by the bead in the passage 50. Theresultant seam is absolutely straight and absolutely parallel to thestocking courses.

Following the sewing of the severed edges, or in the language of theart, following closing of the toe, the stocking is pulled further towardthe rear by the drag of the moving endless belt 22 and discharged. Forthis purpose, the belt 22 is positioned at an angle relative to the axisof the guide passage 50, the rear end of the belt being to the left sideof the front end, as viewed looking in from the front. Thus, when thefinished stocking leaves the surface 36 of the sewing machine 10, thestocking falls off the base 12 and drops into a collection basket orbin.

It should have been mentioned above, that at the cutting station 30, acollection chute is provided, located just in front of the cutter 31 onthe far side of the guide passage 50 as viewed in FIG. 1, for receivingthe trimmed terminal portion of the stocking toe. This trimmed terminalportion as viewed in FIG. 5, extends from the inward or left side of thesuperimposed bead 66 to and including the ravel guard 65.

By the method and means illustrated, described and claimed, the toe ofthe stocking is closed by a seam which is straight and parallel with thecourses of the stocking. The resultant seam compares very favorably withseams made by prior-an techniques in which the stocking toe is manuallyimpaled on the points of a looping machine, but the time required tomake the closing seam, and hence the cost, is very much less.

In FIGS. 79, the guide tube, identified as 150, is used for guiding thetoe portion of a stocking 160 to a known form of looping machine 100,instead of to a sewing machine as in FIGS. l-6. The guide is comprisedof a left half-plate 141 and a right half-plate 142 positioned inend-to-end almost-abutting relation and held by brace 144. The plates141- --l42 are horizontally disposed and supported in position justabove the rotating looper 100 carrying the radial looper points 101 byany suitable means, not shown. As seen in FIG. 9, the almost-abuttingedges of the plates 141 and 142 are each grooved with a generallysemi-circular groove, each less than 180, forming between the plates141-142 the guide passage which is of generally circular cross sectionbut slotted vertically. The forward end of the guide passage 150 isflared or trumpeted as at 151 to make it easier for the operator toinsert the bead halves ACE and ADB of bead 66 of the stocking toe intothe guide passage 150 in side-by-side relation.

As seen best in FIG. 8, the guide half-plates 141 and 142 are supportedjust above the looping points 101 in such horizontal position that theguide tube 150 is tangential to the circle formed by the tips of thelooping point circle. The toe portion of the stocking just below thebead halves is held in flat wrinkle-free condition so that when thestocking is moved by operator tangentially forward toward the loopingpoints, the stocking fabric is engaged and impaled on the looping points101 as the looping machine 100 rotates in the clockwise directionindicated by the arrow. Trimming and sewing to close the toe is thenperformed in the usual manner by known forms of trimming and sewingmechanisms indicated in the drawing by the reference numeral 200.

While the preferred embodiments of this invention have been described insome detail, it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that variousmodifications may be made without departing from the invention ashereinafter claimed.

lclaim:

l. A method of closing the toe of ladies stocking comprisa. knitting asingle bead parallel to a course in the toe region inward of theterminal end;

b. flattening the toe to superpose half the bead on the other half;

c. preventing sliding movement of the bead in directions normal to thebead while allowing sliding movement in the lineal direction 9f the beadby confining the superd. sliding the head portion within the guidetoward the working station, the stocking fabric adjacent the beadsliding along through the slots in the side wall of the tubular guide;

. at the working station beyond the end of the tubular guide, trimmingthe toe along the inside edge of the superposed bead halves to removethe terminal end of the stocking, including the bead; and

bead superposed on itself for receiving within the tube two superposedbead halves of the flattened toe region for allowing sliding movement ofthe toe portion in the lineal direction of the bead while preventingmovement of the bead in directions normal to the bead; and

b. and bracket means supporting said guide tube from a pointsubstantially forward of the working position to al most the workingposition.

f. sewing along the trimmed edge to close th 3. Apparatus according toclaim 2 further characterized in 2. In a machine adapted for use inclosing the toe portion of 10 that Said Slotted guide tube is formed P)a P of f l circular knit hosiery, the toe portion of which is providedwith rectangular flat Plates Supported y sald bracket means In a asingle bead parallel to a course and located inward of the ter- FommonPlane in almt'abutting relation, and minal end of the toe, said machinehaving a toe-closing \vork m that the almost'abumng edges of Said Platesare each P ing station, the improvement which comprises the provision"ided with a generally semi'circ ular groove h Y semijcir' cular grooveswith almost-abutting edges forming, in combinaa. a guide tube havingopposing slots i h id wall and a tion, the generally circularcross-section passage of the guide center passageway of generallycircular cross section aptube wlth opposmg slots the slde wan thereofproximately equal in cross-sectional area to that of the

